System and method for playing a game

ABSTRACT

A system for playing a game comprises a game unit and a number of mobile terminals which can communicate with the game unit. The game unit is arranged for sending a game code to one or more mobile terminals, and the mobile terminals are arranged for sending at least one game code-related reply message to the game unit. Each reply message comprises an identification code of the mobile terminal. The game code is a number consisting of two or more digits, and each digit identifies a key of each mobile terminal. Each reply message is a word composed of letters which have been selected by means of the keys identified by the digits of the game code. The game unit is arranged for verifying the letters of the reply message.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This Application is a Section 371 National Stage Application ofInternational Application No. PCT/NL02/00678, filed Oct. 24, 2002 andpublished as WO 03/035200 on May 1, 2003, in English.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a system and a method for playing a game, whichsystem comprises a game unit and a number of mobile terminals which cancommunicate with the game unit, which game unit is adapted to send agame code to one or more mobile terminals and which mobile terminals areadapted to send at least one game code-related reply message to the gameunit, wherein each reply message comprises an identification code of themobile terminal.

Known systems and methods of this kind are arranged for playing games ofchance. An example of such a system is described in WO 01/48712. Onedrawback of a game of chance is the fact that the level of knowledgeand/or dexterity of the player has hardly if any influence on theoutcome of the game. The game unit may be of relatively simple design,because the game unit only needs to check the reply message for winningor losing.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The object of the invention is to provide a system and a method of thekind referred to in the introduction by means of which a game can beplayed, wherein the level of knowledge and/or dexterity of the playerdetermines the outcome of the game.

In order to accomplish that objective, the game code used in the systemor the method according to the invention is a number comprising two ormore digits, wherein one or more of said digits identify a key of amobile terminal, and each reply message is a word or a part of a wordcomposed of one or more letters which have been selected by means of thekey(s) identified by digits of the game code, wherein the game unit isadapted to verify the letters of the reply message.

In this manner a system and a method are obtained in which the level ofknowledge of the players determines the outcome of the game. The gameunit must carry out several verification operations on the replymessages in order to determine the score.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will now be explained in more detail with reference to thedrawing:

FIG. 1 is a very schematic representation of an embodiment of the systemaccording to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a method of operation of the system

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS

The system shown in the drawing comprises a game unit 1 and a number ofmobile terminals 2, which can communicate with the game unit 1 via awireless network (not shown). The mobile terminals 2 may be mobiletelephones, PDA's or laptops or the like. The network may be a GSMnetwork, a UMTS network or other suitable network. The game unit 1comprises a database 3 (schematically indicated), in which data relatingto users of the mobile terminals 2 are stored. The users register asgame participants with the manager of the game unit 1 in advance. Saidregistration can take place in writing or over the Internet, forexample. After having registered, the users receive an information packwith an explanation of the game supported by the game unit 1. Theinformation pack may also include an identification code by means ofwhich the user can identify himself to the game unit 1 when he wants toparticipate in the game. The use of a special identification code is notnecessary, however, since the telephone number is automatically providedwhen mobile telephones are used. The game unit can use said telephonenumber for identifying the user associated therewith in the database 3.

Alternatively, participants in the game can present themselves asparticipants to the game unit 1 by means of their mobile terminal 2, forexample by sending a game entry code.

With the system as described and provided as indicated at step 12 inmethod 10 of FIG. 2, the game unit 1 generates a three-digit number asgame code 4 at the beginning of a new round or period of the game. Eachdigit is in the series 2 up to 9 and identifies a key of each mobiletelephone. As is well-known, three or four different letters can beinput with each of the numeric keys 2-9 of a mobile telephone, andconsequently each digit from the game code 4 corresponds to three orfour different letters from the alphabet. At step 14, the game code 4 issent to all the mobile terminals 2 of those who have registered asparticipants in the game in the form of an SMS message. At step 16, thegame code is received at each mobile terminal 2 and each participantmust form Dutch words from the letters identified by the digits of thegame code 4, and each word formed of said letters must be sent to thegame unit 1 in the form of an SMS reply message 5.

At step 18, thee game unit 1 receives the reply messages and identifiesthe participant by means of the identification code or the telephonenumber and verifies for each reply message 5 whether the letters of theword correspond to the digits of the generated game code. The game unit1 furthermore checks whether the word formed by the letters is anexisting Dutch word. If these two requirements are met, the game unit 1determines a game score by adding up the digits corresponding to theletters of the word. In the preferred embodiment, the game score is onlyaccepted if the sum of the digits is larger than the sum of the digitsof the transmitted game code 4. Each accepted game score is recorded foreach participant, and said scores are accumulated to obtain a totalscore. In order to prevent participants submitting the same word two ormore times, the game unit 1 compares each word that is received fromeach participant with previously received words and only accepts thegame score of new words. At the end of a round, the participant havingthe highest total score wins. The participant in question can beinformed of having won the round by means of an SMS message, which issent by the game unit 1.

A round may take up one day, for example. At 00.00 hours the game unit 1generates a game code for that day and sends it to all participatingmobile terminals 2. The round closes at 24.00 hours. A round may besubdivided into sub-rounds, wherein a prize can be awarded in everysub-round to the participant with the highest total score in saidsub-round. The sub-round can be considered as a first game period, inwhich the game unit 1 selects one or more winning total scores from thetotal scores of the participants. The scores for the first period orsub-round are retained and remain valid for the overall round or secondperiod. After the second period, all the recorded total scores areerased and a new round begins. A participant can participate in the gamein every sub-round and submit words that were submitted in a previoussub-round anew. The score of said words counts for a new sub-round butnot for the overall round. It is also possible to use numbers comprisingtwo, four or more digits instead of a three-digit number. Of course thegame can also be played in languages different than Dutch.

It is noted that several variants to the system as described above arepossible. In some of these variants, additional messages are sent by thegame unit 1 at step 20. The system may be arranged for a word game, forexample, wherein a first game code is sent to the mobile terminal,whether or not with a hint for the word represented by the game code.The participant can then send the word he thinks is correct to the gameunit, after which the game unit sends a second game code for a nextword, whether or not with an associated hint. After the participant hassent said word to the game unit again, the game unit will transmit tothe terminal a game code representing a word which brings the two wordsthat have previously been given as the solution into connection. Also inthis case a hint may be added to the game code or be sent separately ata later point in time.

According to another variant, the game unit supplies a game code whosedigits indicate one letter or a few letters of a word that is wanted.The participant in the game can send the wanted letter or letters to thegame unit via his mobile telephone, after which the game unit sends anext game message to the participant's mobile telephone, wherein thereceived letters are shown at their correct place in the wanted word.The participant can then try to find a next letter of the wanted wordand send it to the game unit. If the participant has submitted a correctletter, the game unit will send a next game message, wherein the letterthat has been found is shown at its correct place in the word again.

Another possible variant of the system as described herein comprises agame unit which sends a game code whose digits indicate the keys of themobile terminal as well as the number of times that said keys must beoperated for the wanted letters. The game code further indicates howmany letters the wanted word comprises. The participant can then try tofind the correct word by means of the digits of the game code and thenumber of letters of the word and submit his solution to the game unitin a reply message.

The invention is not restricted to the embodiment as described above,which can be varied in many ways within the scope of the invention asdefined in the claims.

1. A system for playing a game, which system comprises a game unit and anumber of mobile terminals which can communicate with the game unit,which game unit is adapted to send a game code to one or more mobileterminals and which mobile terminals are adapted to send at least onegame code-related reply message to the game unit, wherein each replymessage comprises an identification code of the mobile terminal, whereinthe game code is a number comprising two or more digits, wherein each ofsaid digits identifies a key of a mobile terminal and corresponds tothree or four different letters from the alphabet, and each replymessage is a word or a part of a word composed of one or more letterswhich have each been selected by means of the key identified by therespective digit of the game code, wherein the game unit is adapted toverify the letters of the reply message on their correspondence to thedigits of the game code, wherein the game unit is arranged for verifyingfor each reply message whether the letters of the word correspond to thedigits of the game code and the word formed by said letters, wherein thegame unit is adapted to determine a score on the basis of the digitscorresponding to the letters of the word, wherein the game unit isadapted to determine the score as the sum of the digits corresponding tothe letters of the word from the reply message.
 2. The system accordingto claim 1, wherein the game unit is adapted to send a next game messageto the mobile terminal from which the reply message was received, whichmessage depends on the received reply message.
 3. The system accordingto claim 1, wherein the game unit is adapted to only accept the score ifthe sum of the digits is larger than the sum of the digits of thetransmitted game code.
 4. The system according to claim 3, wherein thegame unit is adapted to record the sum of each accepted score for eachmobile terminal and accumulate the sum of each accepted score for eachmobile terminal to obtain a total score.
 5. The system according toclaim 4, wherein the game unit is adapted to compare each next word thatis received from a mobile terminal with words previously received fromsaid mobile terminal, with only the score of new words being accepted.6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the game unit is adapted todetermine the time of receipt of the reply messages, wherein the gameunit selects one or more winning scores from the scores that werereceived in a first period of the game.
 7. The system according to claim6, wherein the game unit is adapted to select one or more winning scoresfrom the scores that were received in a second period of the game,wherein the game unit is adapted to erase all the recorded scores afterthe second period.
 8. A method for playing a game, wherein a game codeis sent to one or more mobile terminals by means of a game unit, andwherein the mobile terminals send at least one game code-related replymessage to the game unit, wherein each reply message comprises anidentification code of the mobile terminal, wherein the game code is anumber comprising two or more digits, wherein each of said digitsidentifies a key of a mobile terminal and corresponds to three or fourdifferent letters from the alphabet, and each reply message is a word ora part of a word composed of one or more letters which have each beenselected by means of the key identified by the respective digit of thegame code, wherein the game unit verifies the letters of the replymessage on their correspondence to the digits of the game code, whereinthe game unit verifies for each reply message whether the letters of theword correspond to the digits of the game code and the word formed bysaid letters, wherein the game unit determines a score on the basis ofthe digits corresponding to the letters of the word, wherein the gameunit determines the score as the sum of the digits corresponding to theletters of the word from the reply message.
 9. The method according toclaim 8, wherein the game unit sends a next game message to the mobileterminal from which the reply message was received, which messagedepends on the received reply message.
 10. The method according to claim8, wherein the game unit only accepts the score if the sum of the digitsis larger than the sum of the digits of the transmitted game code. 11.The method according to claim 10, wherein the game unit records the sumof each accepted score for each mobile terminal and accumulates the sumof each accepted score for each mobile terminal to obtain a total score.12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the game unit compareseach next word that is received from a mobile terminal with wordspreviously received from said mobile terminal, with only the score ofnew words being accepted.
 13. The method according to claim 8, whereinthe game unit determines the time of receipt of the reply messages,wherein the game unit selects one or more winning scores from the scoresthat were received in a first period of the game.
 14. The methodaccording to claim 13, wherein the game unit selects one or more winningscores from the scores that were received in a second period of thegame, wherein the game unit erases all the recorded scores after thesecond period.